Last weekend’s Pride festival in Glenwood Springs was brimming with families, locals, pets, and even a few drag performers. Speeches included those from Governor Jared Polis, Representative Elizabeth Velasco, SkiCo’s Kevin McManaman, and several local LGBTQ advocates. 90’s pop covers played throughout the celebration, and a litany of booths with resources and rainbow flags lined up along the roadway.
KDNK’s Hattison Rensberry stopped into the bustling event to chat with two people about what made Glenwood’s pride different from other ones they had been to.
"Rodriguez: Marki Rodriguez, pronouns are they/them. This is super small scale and like I came to hype it up, cuz I want it to be in the Western Slope, like in the valley hard. I wanna bring Denver pride here.
Chimovitz: Shay Chimovitz, pronouns are also they/them. This was significantly more hype, like the energy was through the roof. I feel like back in Michigan being queer is pretty accepted. So being out here to have this community of like, all right, we're gonna come together is way different than what I experienced back in Ferndale.
Rensberry: What else do you want in your queer community?
Rodriguez: Positivity. We want a community in general. Cause I feel like Glenwood and the Valley in general is just like really lacking the queer community and the queer pride.
I know that they pushed really hard with Glenwood to put this on, and so I'm super grateful to whoever did it and hope that we can do more, and hopefully have a Pride Parade next year. Like that'd be dope.
Rensberry: Do you feel like this was a step in that direction?
Rodriguez: Totally. Hundred percent.
Rodriguez: Like this is a first step, baby steps.
Rensberry: Is there anything else you'd like to say about this pride, or just the pride experience in general? If there's a non-binary person out there who's thinking about coming to Pride but may not have this year, what would you tell them?
Rodriguez: Do it. Yeah. Like you're gonna find your community, you're gonna not even feel out of place at all. Like be exactly who you wanna be and go.
Chimovitz: This is a beautiful place to be able to express yourself and feel welcome and, uh, not feel like you're gonna be turned away. Like you come in here and it's just like a big old hug."
